EmergingDefence and national security AI assurance

Defence AI Assurance Engineer

Also called Defence AI Test Engineer

A Defence AI Assurance Engineer tests whether an AI mission system does what its makers claim, within real hazards and constraints. They give the company independent evidence that the system is safe and fit to be authorised.

What they do

They take the claims made for an AI mission system and try to break them. They list the hazards and operating constraints, then design tests in authorised simulation and digital twins to see where the system fails. They run model evaluations, analyse results on secure analytics, and record what passed, what failed and why. They build and maintain the assurance case, linking each claim to evidence. They work with developers, safety engineers and security teams, and they say plainly where limitations remain unresolved. They stay independent of the build team.

What a strong hire delivers

In the first months, a strong hire maps the mission hazards and constraints for one system and agrees what must be evidenced. They set up a repeatable test approach in authorised simulation. They produce a first assurance case with independent findings, a clear list of open limitations, and a view of where coverage is thin. Decision makers can then see what is known and what is not.

How you can tell they are good

Ask them to walk through an assurance case they built or challenged. A strong candidate explains how they chose hazards, what evidence supported each claim, and what they could not prove. Ask what they did when a developer disagreed with a finding. Be wary of anyone who talks only about accuracy scores, or who treats passing tests as proof of safety.

Why it is hard to fill

The title barely exists yet. The work sits inside safety assurance, test and evaluation, security analysis or simulation roles, and few people have done all of it for AI systems. Many strong candidates know defence assurance but not model behaviour, or the reverse. Clearance and secure working conditions narrow the pool further. We usually search by the work done, not the job title.

Where to find them

Look at safety assurance engineers, defence systems test and evaluation engineers, security analysts and simulation engineers who have moved towards AI. Others come from model evaluation or AI risk teams in regulated sectors. They tend to sit in defence primes, specialist defence technology firms, government research bodies, and assurance consultancies.

Indicative pay

Not enough published evidence yet to give a fair range for this role, which is common for work this new. We benchmark it for you as part of a search.

Interview questions for a Defence AI Assurance Engineer

  1. Describe an assurance case you built or challenged. What claims did it make and what evidence supported them?

    A strong answer names specific claims, links each to evidence and admits gaps. They explain how the case was reviewed. Worry if they describe documents without evidence, or cannot say what remained unproven.

  2. How do you decide which mission hazards an AI system must be tested against?

    Look for structured hazard analysis, input from operators and safety staff, and attention to edge cases and misuse. Worry if hazards come only from the developer's own list or from generic benchmarks.

4 more questions, with what a strong answer covers, are in the Role Kit.

Job description you can post

We are hiring a Defence AI Assurance Engineer to challenge the claims made about our AI mission systems. You will work independently of the build team, test systems against real hazards and constraints, and give decision makers clear evidence of what is safe, what is not and what remains unknown.

What you will do

  • Identify mission hazards and operating constraints for AI systems
  • Design and run independent tests in authorised simulation and digital twins
  • Evaluate model behaviour and analyse results on secure analytics
  • Build and maintain assurance cases linking claims to evidence
  • Report findings and unresolved limitations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
  • Work with developers, safety and security teams while keeping independence

What you will bring

  • Demonstrated work in defence systems, safety assurance, security analysis or simulation
  • Experience building or reviewing an assurance or safety case
  • Practical experience evaluating machine learning models
  • Ability to design tests from a hazard analysis
  • Clear written reporting of findings and limitations
  • Ability to work in secure, authorised environments

Nice to have

  • Experience with digital twins
  • Background in AI risk management
  • Experience of security engineering reviews

Free to use and adapt. If it saves you time, a link back to this page is appreciated.

Skills that matter

  • AI risk managementAdvancedIdentify, assess, treat and monitor AI risks
  • Model evaluationAdvancedMeasure capability and failure modes credibly
  • Security engineeringWorkingProtect systems, identities and sensitive assets
  • Simulation and digital twinsWorkingBuild useful virtual representations of environments

Other roles in defence and national security AI assurance

Hiring nowDefence AI Systems EngineerA Defence AI Systems Engineer integrates AI components into authorised mission systems and proves they work in context. They make sure the system…Hiring nowNational Security AI AnalystA National Security AI Analyst assesses AI capability and risk evidence for authorised security needs. They give the company clear, defensible…EmergingAI Wargaming and Simulation SpecialistAn AI Wargaming and Simulation Specialist uses controlled simulations to test AI-related strategic scenarios. They give leaders a clear view of…

Related roles in other families

Hiring nowAI Agent EngineerTool-using agents and workflow orchestrationAn AI Agent Engineer builds software agents that take real actions through tools they are explicitly permitted to use. They turn model capability…Hiring nowAgent Tool Integration EngineerTool-using agents and workflow orchestrationAn Agent Tool Integration Engineer connects AI agents to outside systems through tightly scoped interfaces. They make sure agents act only where…EmergingAgent Workflow ArchitectTool-using agents and workflow orchestrationAn Agent Workflow Architect decides which tasks go to agents, which stay with people, and where approvals sit. It matters because agents that act…EmergingComputer-Use Agent EngineerTool-using agents and workflow orchestrationA Computer-Use Agent Engineer builds agents that operate real application interfaces, clicking, typing and reading screens, within firm limits. They…

How we wrote this

Role definitions are our own editorial work, checked against occupational classifications, standards, research and employer pages. Titles vary by company, and this is a description of the work, not a job advert.

← Defence and national security AI assuranceAll new job families

Start a search

Hiring a Defence AI Assurance Engineer?

Tell us the work. We find the people already doing it, whatever their job title says, and you meet them already interviewed for your role.